Say What You Mean
by Suspension
Summary: Zack and Cody get into a fight after school one day, and Zack says something hurtful to his brother. But when two mysterious men enter the hotel that same afternoon, will Zack have a chance to apologize before it's too late? [Complete!]
1. Say Anything

OK, This is my very first story. I just got bored and decided to write a little, and this is what I came up with. Hope you all enjoy and review!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

"What's your problem!" Zack yelled. He and Cody were fighting. Again.

"You're my problem!" Cody yelled back. They were in one of the Tipton Hotel's elevators, on their way up to their suite on the 23rd floor, which they called "home."

"Boys, can't we talk about this like calm, rational adults?" asked Maddie. She saw the boys fighting in the lobby, while she was working at the candy counter. She decided to follow them up to their suite, hoping she could get them to stop fighting. She thought wrong.

"NO!" The twins both yelled in unison, as the elevator doors opened. They walked out, still arguing as they reached their door. The door to their suite suddenly flew open, a very angry Carey on the other side.

"Whoa! Hold it right there!" she said, arms folded across her chest. "I heard you yelling from down the hallway! What's going on here?"

The twins began yelling their sides of the story. Carey raised one eyebrow and looked at Maddie. "It's been like this since they walked in the front doors," she said, nodding her head.

Carey sighed. "Boys, one at a time, please," she pleaded, ushering everyone inside.

"Zack played a prank on me at school today, and everyone was laughing at me," Cody explained, looking up with sad, wide eyes at his mother.

"Yeah, well, you didn't have to tell everyone how I'm afraid of snakes just to get me back! I have a reputation to uphold, you know!" Zack yelled. He threw his backpack down and plopped on to the couch.

"Sometimes I really wish I was someplace else," Cody mumbled, throwing his arms up and shaking his head. Zack glared at him.

"Sometimes I wish you were somewhere else, too. And sometimes I wish you would just disappear! You ruin everything! Why can't you just leave and never come back!" Zack was now screaming at his brother.

Carey interjected. "Zackary Martin!" She had never heard her boys fight like this before. Maddie stared in disbelief at the boys.

Cody looked extremely hurt. His brother had never said something that hurtful before. And it seemed like he really meant it this time.

"Fine, if that's what you want," Cody said in a weak voice. He turned around and looked at his mother, hoisting his backpack higher up on his shoulder. "I'm going to do my homework in the lobby," he said, and walked out of the suite, his head hanging down.

Zack let out an aggravated cry, "What, am I supposed to feel sorry for him now?"

"Zack, I want you to go and apologize to your brother. That was a really mean thing to say to him, you really upset him! Go, right NOW," Carey said. She had crossed her arms again and gave Zack a stern look.

Zack groaned. "Fine," he said, throwing his arms out to his sides while giving his mother a smug smile. He strode over to the door and said under his breath "But I sure as hell won't mean it." And with that, he walked out the door and over to the elevator.

Carey looked at Maddie, who, having heard what Zack said, raised her eyebrows and let out a silent "Oh."

"What did he just say?" Carey asked, pointing her finger at the door.

Maddie said, "You don't wanna know."

"I'm going to kill him," Carey muttered, marching out of the suite with Maddie hot on her heels.

_Meanwhile…_

Outside the Tipton sat a black van, which two men in their early 30s were emerging from.

"You ready?" asked one of the men. He was tall and thin, with long black hair tied in a ponytail that hung down to the middle of his back. He had a thick scar under his right eye, right next to his crooked nose.

The second man, tall, but not thin like the first man, looked up. He took off his hat, revealing a bald head, and put it in his pocket. Then he threw down his cigarette and stepped on it, smiling at his partner. "Don't worry, boss, I know exactly what needs to be done."


	2. You'll love what's in store

OK, so I know how I want this to be in my head, but I don't know how well it will come out on paper. I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter. I'm not sure how often I'll update, either very often or not so often, because I have school and work, but sometimes I have free time and I like to vent, and I do it writing drama. And thank you everyone, for writing me such nice reviews. I don't really consider myself a good writer, so it was nice to know my story is liked. Anyway, here is chapter two.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything, except the characters I make up.

Cody put his backpack on the floor next to the couch and sat down. His head was still spinning from what his brother had said to him. "I would never want _him_ to disappear", he thought to himself, putting his head in his hands.

Cody and Zack have been fighting all week. It all started when Cody accidentally spilled his milk on Zack's new shoes. Zack was furious, saying Cody did it on purpose. That night, Zack hid Cody's blankie under the couch to get him back. Cody spent half the night searching for blankie when Zack finally told him where it was, laughing in Cody's tear-streaked face.

"_I'll get you back," Cody had said._

"_What are you gonna do, cry on me?" Zack snapped back._

Cody sighed, wiping a tear from his cheek, turning his head to see London. She was standing with Mr. Moseby, who was giving her another lecture about maxing out credit cards.

_In the elevator…_

Zack stood in the elevator with his arms folded. He hadn't meant to hurt Cody's feelings, and he didn't really want him to disappear, but Cody was so damn sensitive. "He cries over everything," he thought to himself. "Maybe I should just apologize."

Just as Zack stepped out of the elevator and began walking over to his twin, a man with a very long ponytail walked in the front doors of the Tipton. He eyed the front desk and took out his cell phone. "Hit the lights, Felix," he said. "You got it, boss," said Felix. The boss snapped his cell shut.

_In another elevator…_

"I can't believe those two, fighting like that," Carey said, shaking her head.

"I think it's just part of growing up and being a teenager.," Maddie said, with a shrug. Carey just sighed.

The elevator stopped at the floor to the lobby, and Carey braced herself for the fight ahead. Just as the doors were about to open, the power shut off, trapping Carey and Maddie inside the elevator.

"What happened?" Maddie asked, pressing the "door open" button a few times.

Carey looked around. "I don't know…"

_In the Lobby…_

Zack stopped right before he reached his brother and looked around as the lights in the hotel flickered, then died.

Cody stood up, and also looked around. Then , both Zack and Cody looked over at the front desk.

The boss walked over to where London and Mr. Moseby had stopped arguing, putting a gun to London's head. Mr. Moseby's eyes grew wide in fear, as he opened his mouth to protest.

"If I were you, Moseby, I'd shut my mouth. I'll be calling all the shots around here," said the boss

Zack and Cody looked at each other in fear.

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OK, I know it's not long, but I wanted it to stop there. Hope you all enjoy!


	3. And now I can't leave

I'm really enjoying writing this fic, and I'm happy to know you all enjoy reading it. On with chapter 3. I've got some time tonight and everyone is waiting so patiently.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, except the characters I make up.

Zack and Cody were staring at each other fearfully when Felix walked into the Lobby.

"Thank you for cutting the power, Felix," the boss said. He still had his gun aimed at London's head, who looked at Moseby, whimpering slightly. Felix glanced around at the few fearful guests that were in the lobby; the guests who were hovering near the front doors. He walked over and placed a chain around the doors, which he then latched closed with a large lock.

"Did you get the others, Felix?" the boss asked, his eyes never leaving Moseby's face.

"Yeah, boss, all except the one by the old furnace. We'll get out that way. Besides, you know that no one knows about that one," Felix said, spitting into a nearby potted plant.

"What do you want, sir?" Moseby asked with a shaky voice. The boss pressed the gun harder against London's head.

"Sir?" the boss asked, laughing loudly. "Never thought I'd hear _you_ call _me_ 'Sir'." He pulled London closer. She let out a small cry.

"Leave her alone!" yelled a voice from behind. The boss let go of London for a second and turned around, aiming his gun at Cody. London ran behind Moseby, who grabbed hold of her. She buried her face in his back, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"I'd keep quiet if I were you, little boy," the boss said, snickering. Cody looked into the barrel of the gun with wide eyes, but held his ground. "She didn't do anything to you! Just take what you want, and leave," Cody said, shaking slightly.

Felix walked up to Cody and put a hand on his gun, which was latched at his side. "The boss told you to SHUT IT!" Felix yelled, bringing back his other hand, as if to slap Cody. Cody flinched, but Zack spoke up, gaining Felix's attention. "He didn't mean it! He's a little slow sometimes!" Zack said, running over to his brothers' side, pinching Cody on the arm and giving him a "shut-the-hell-up look".

"Great, there's two of them. Just my luck," the boss mumbled.

_In the elevator..._

Carey and Maddie were still pressing the buttons on the elevator and trying the emergency phone, but nothing seemed to be working.

"If I had a crowbar, I could get these doors open," Carey said, pushing on one of the doors.

"I think I can hear voices in the Lobby.." Maddie said, pressing her ear against the door. Carey did the same.

_"Leave her alone! _

_"I'd keep quiet if I were you, little boy,"_

_She didn't do anything to you! Just take what you want, and leave."_

_"The boss told you to SHUT IT!" _

_"He didn't mean it! He's a little slow sometimes!" _

Carey gasped. "That's Zack and Cody..BOYS! BOYS, ARE YOU OK!" She yelled as she was banging on the doors. "I need to get to my boys!" She said frantically, beating harder. Maddie stared at her and said "Carey, if they're in any kind of danger, I don't think beating on the doors is going to help..."

Carey looked at Maddie, tears rapidly filling her eyes.

_Back in the Lobby..._

Moseby looked at the twins. He had to get the boss's attention back on himself and away from the boys. "Excuse me, but why is it strange that I called you 'Sir'?" he said, hoping that would regain the boss's attention. The boss looked at Moseby and smiled, aiming his gun in Moseby's face, as Felix sat down on the chair opposite the boys, his gun trained on them. "Great, that didn't work," Moseby thought to himself.

"You really don't recognize me, do you?" the boss asked, tilting his head to the side. "Oh well, it doesn't matter anyway. I know it's here, Moseby, and I want it. You and that wretched girl know where it is, and I want it NOW! We need to do this quickly, dammit!" He yelled as he bloodshot eyes grew wider.

"Sir, I don't know what.." Moseby said, fear filling his voice, as the boss slapped him across the face. The hotel guests, crouched on the floor by the door, let out small whimpers.

"Don't play dumb with me, Moseby! You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about!" the boss spat. "Either you get it for me, or I shoot these two sweet boys in the head!" He screamed, pointing his gun at Cody, while Felix pointed his at Zack. The twins breathing began to quicken as they grabbed onto each other.

_In the elevator..._

"Please don't hurt my boys! Please!" Carey pleaded, tears streaming down her face as she barely beat on the doors. She was too exhausted from crying to beat any harder. Maddie knelt down and wrapped her arms around Carey, holding back her own tears. "It will be ok," she said, as Carey cried onto her shoulder.

_Back in the Lobby..._

"I'll show you where it is!"

The boss turned back to where Moseby was standing. London had walked out from behind Moseby and wiped the tears from her face. "Just don't shoot the twins," She said weakly. Moseby hung his head and put his hand on London's shoulder.

"Now, see? That's what I call cooperation." the boss said as he smiled wide.

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I know it's not exactly long, but I like to leave cliffhangers. And I read and reread, and I think I'm quite happy with how it turned out. I know there is a lot of back and forth between the elevator and the lobby, but I want it to be that way. So you know what everyone is going through. I wanted Carey and Maddie to be able to hear what was going on in the Lobby, I thought it would add a little extra drama. And I know how we all love drama ;) Hope you all enjoyed chapter 3, and review..like it? Don't like it? Can I improve anything? Anyone confused? Let me know!


	4. I can't seem to stop this now

Writing chapter 4 as I listen to "Wicked." And I made a slight change to chapter 3: the boss didn't mention anything about the police. I just want to let you all know, because I forgot I had something else planned, and the statement where he says "before the police come" was going to conflict with that. Oh, and the Thai King's name is correct, but everything I am going to say is not, I'm just making stuff up. And I'm completely making this up, as well, but I'm saying Mr. Tipton is from Thailand. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything, except the characters I make up.

The boss drew closer to London and she latched an arm around Moseby.

"You better not be leading me on, little girl, because all I have to do is call Felix, there," the boss said, nodding his head toward his partner, "and he'll put two little bullets in their two little blonde heads. We got an understanding?" London nodded quickly."Moseby and I will show you..." she replied.

The boss grinned. "Lead the way, sweetheart," he said, raising his gun towards the two of them. He turned around for a moment, looking at the few guests that were still cowering by the door. "Don't move," he said to London and Moseby. He walked over to the guests and said, "You see that candy counter?" He pointed to the candy counter where Maddie worked. "I want you all to get behind it and stay there. And if you move, I'll shoot you. Now stand up!" The guests, one man and two women, all dressed in business attire, stood up. The boss felt around their pockets, taking all the cell phones. "Wouldn't want you to mess up my operation I have going here. Now get behind the counter!" he said forcefully, putting all three phones in his pocket. The guests scurried over behind the counter, one of the women crying softly. The boss walked back over to Moseby and London, saying, "Proceed." Then, he followed the two behind the front desk and into the daycare room.

Zack and Cody were still standing in front of Felix. He was whistling while twirling his gun around his forefinger when Zack asked, "What does your boss want?" Cody shot an "are you nuts!" look as his brother, but Felix just gave them both a crooked smile. He stood up and got closer to the twins.

"Nosey, aren't we?" he said, inches away from Zack's face. Zack swallowed hard.

Felix eyed them for another minute, then smiled again. "There's a diamond hidden here at this hotel. Tipton got it from King Bhumibol Adulyadej himself. Built a Tipton hotel over there, in Thailand, you know, where he was born and everything. The King gave it to him when the hotel opened. Big ceremony and everything, kind of like one of those 'key to the city' type things." Felix spit again. "8 carrot diamond, too," he added. Cody and Zack just looked at each other.

_In the daycare room..._

"So where's my diamond?" the boss asked, sniffling and wiping his nose with his arm.

"Over here," London said, walking over to a large picture of a playground scene. She removed the picture to reveal a very high-tech safe. "London Tipton," she said into a small microphone embedded on the lock. The computer screen next to the lock flashed green, after which a small scanner popped out from the bottom of the safe. London placed her hand on the scanner and the computer screen flashed green again. They all heard a small "click" and London sighed heavily, opening the door to the safe. There sat a brilliant 8 carrot diamond, sparkling in a glass case. She reached in and pulled it out. "Daddy's most prized possession," she thought to herself and she looked at the diamond. The boss stared at it greedily for a split second before grabbing it out of London's hands.

"Now go back into the lobby," he said, pulling a velvet pouch from his pocket and placing the diamond inside. He then tied the pouch to his belt loop, ushering London and Moseby back into the lobby.

Felix looked up as they reentered the lobby and asked, "Did you get it, boss?"

The boss licked his lips. "Yeah, Felix, I got it. Let's tie up these fools and get..." the boss stopped suddenly as he heard sirens screaming from outside. He looked anxiously at Felix. "You took care of all the security, didn't you? And all the doors?" he asked as he began to sweat slightly.

Felix began talking feverishly. "Yeah, I did. But, you know, maybe someone was trying to get into the lobby from the stairs, or something, after the power went out, you know? And they got concerned, you know? They could have called the cops or something. You know, I mean, it is a hotel and everything.."

"Shut up, Felix! We gotta get out of here! NOW!" the boss said, his eyes wild. There was banging on the front doors. "This is the police! We got a call about a power outage and sealed doors! Everything ok in there? If you don't answer, we're going to break down the doors!"

_In the elevator..._

Carey was still shaking in Maddie's arms when she heard sirens. Her head shot up and she locked eyes with Maddie, who gave Carey a hopeful smile. Carey began to beat on the elevator doors again, this time with Maddie's help.

"Help! We're stuck in the elevator!" Maddie cried, placing an ear to the door once again.

Carey was still beating and crying, "Zack! Cody! I'm right here, boys! Hang in there!" The tears never stopped leaking from her eyes.

_In the lobby..._

The boss put his hands on his head and began to panic. He didn't see London, who was right behind him, reaching for the diamond at his side. But Felix saw. "BOSS!" he shouted, pushing Zack and Cody to the floor and running over, grabbing London's arm and twisting it back. London let out a pained gasp.

The boss just snickered. "Tisk, tisk, my dear. Now you'll have to pay." Felix raised his gun towards her head.

"Don't touch her!" Moseby cried, lunging toward the two men. The boss, startled, moved out of the way quickly and ran over to the stairs that led to the basement, the diamond still safely at his side. He ran until he got to the getaway door. But Felix was not so lucky as Moseby tackled him, and a fight for the gun began. London quickly got to her feet, after having been thrown to the floor, and ran to the front doors screaming "Help! He has a gun!"

The police shouted, "Move out of the way!" as they began using their battering ram to break down the doors.

Moseby and Felix got to their feet, still struggling for the gun, when it went off and hit the couch next to the boys. Cody let out a small yell of fear, which caused Moseby to turn quickly, giving Felix the upper hand. He pushed Moseby into the front desk and aimed the gun at Zack. "If I'm going down, I'm taking someone with me!" he screamed, grinning madly. Zack put his hands up in defense and shook his head. Cody looked at Felix, then at Zack and yelled, "Zack! No!"

_In the elevator..._

_"If I'm going down, I'm taking someone with me!" _

_"Zack! No!" _

Carey's heart skipped a beat when she heard, and she began to scream and claw at the door. "ZACK!"

_In the lobby..._

"NO!" Moseby screamed, throwing himself onto Felix's back just as he pulled the trigger; the same time that Cody sprang to his feet and threw his twin to the ground.

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Now, there are some things that need to be explained, and they will be..in time. Just be patient and keep reading and you'll find out everything. I can't explain everything just yet. And there will be more Zack and Cody in the next chapters. I just had to get all this written out for this chapter so you know how all this mess happened. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I like it. I may have been able to write it better, but it's good like this. Thank you everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I'm glad to see you are enjoying the story. Cheers!

ps- let me know if you notice any mistakes or whatnot..or if you are confused. I proofread, but you never know.


	5. I can barely breathe

Listening to Mae this time. The song "Suspension" where I got my name from. And the name for this story, as well.

So what's new, you ask? Chapter 5 is...But I honestly don't know a lot of medical lingo..and I don't really know where to look it up. So I just don't know how accurate this will all sound. I'm going to try my best. But I really want to focus on the emotions that everyone will be feeling, more so to keep me from having to explain Dr. things. Kind of like when you watch a soap opera...Anyway, I hope you all don't mind and I hope you keep enjoying the story.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, except the characters I make up.

_In the elevator..._

Carey became lightheaded when she heard the gunshot. "No, no, no, no..." she began to whisper, as she put a hand on her forehead. Her chest became tight and she felt as though her throat was going to close up. With tears flowing down her cheeks, she began pacing. Maddie glanced over at Carey, too afraid to say anything. Then they heard the police officers break open the doors...

_In the lobby..._

Moseby had just grabbed the gun from a semiconscious Felix when the police barreled through the doors.

"Nobody move!" he heard one of the officers yell.

Moseby threw the gun to the side and stood up, hands raised. The officers were walking slowly over to Moseby when London screamed, "It's the guy on the floor! He's the one that had the gun!" The officer in front looked at London, then at the officers behind him and nodded his head at Felix, who was slowly coming to his senses. The officers dragged Felix to his feet and cuffed him while reading him his rights. The dragged him past London, who nodded in approval while wiping stray tears from her eyes, and into one of the patrol cars. Moseby looked down at Zack and Cody, asking "Boys? Are you alright?" He walked over to them. Zack let out a muffled "Yeah" while shooting him a thumbs-up and Cody just let out an "Ugh.." Moseby, satisfied with the answer, walked over to the police officer who had Felix arrested.

"I'm Lieutenant Brooks. I came as soon as I heard the call, Mr. uh...Moseby," Brooks said, glancing at Moseby's name tag.

"How did you know?" Moseby asked, confused. He looked over at the guests who had been behind the candy counter and who were now with the officers, and said "No one had access to a phone, unless one of the other guests in the hotel realized something was wrong and called 911."

"I called, Mr. Moseby." Moseby turned to see Esteban standing by the front doors with Arwin at his side. "I went outside with Mr. Arwin when he asked me to help him bring in a new piece of junk that was quite heavy. When I tried to get back into the doors, I saw they were locked. That is when Arwin and I heard threatening voices inside and decided to call the police," Esteban explained.

"I'll go get the power turned back on, Mr. Moseby," Arwin said, leaving.

Moseby turned back to the lieutenant and shook his hand. "Thank you for coming when you did," he said. Lieutenant Brooks just smiled and said "It's my job. Now lets get you all checked out, I've got paramedics waiting outside." But Moseby shook his head. "I have to tell you something first. There were _two_ men..." he began to explain what happened as Brooks took out his pen and pad.

Zack got to his knees and looked at his brother, who was curled up in a ball on the floor. He clapped him on the shoulder and said "Thanks, buddy." But Cody didn't respond. "Cody?" Zack asked, shaking his brother slightly. He turned him over, but Cody still didn't respond to him. "What's wrong with you?" Zack asked, a little louder this time. Then Zack looked at his own hand, his eyes growing wide.

"Moseby?" he said, with a shaky voice. Nothing. "Moseby!" he cried, louder this time.

"Not now, Zack, I'm explaining to the lieutenant about..." Moseby was saying as he turned and saw Zack's hand, which was covered in blood. He and the lieutenant rushed over to where Zack and Cody were.

"Zack, are you hurt!" Moseby asked, examining the boy. Zack looked up at Moseby, breathing harshly. "Cody.." he said in a cracked voice. Moseby looked down and saw Cody, who was covered in blood. The lieutenant ran to the door and screamed "We need a paramedic, RIGHT NOW!"

Moseby ripped his jacket off and placed it on Cody's wound in order to keep pressure on it. Cody let out a moan and a small cough, blood trickling down his chin.

Zack was staring down at his brother when one of the paramedics came and pushed him to the side. His head was spinning. "This can't be happening," he thought. "This is all a dream. Cody is going to wake me up any minute and tell me we have to get ready for school.." He heard small portions of the conversation the paramedics were having. "Blood...Losing him...Clear..." Zack flinched as he saw his brother's small body lift off the ground from the shock of the defibrillator. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned around to see a police officer guiding him away from his brother. "No, I need to be with Cody," Zack thought. Suddenly, the power came back on.

_In the elevator..._

Carey was cursing and sobbing when the power flashed back on and the elevator doors opened. She ran out of the elevator and started yelling, "Boys? Cody? Zack?" There were too many people in the lobby sobbing and yelling, and she couldn't make it past the officers who were restricting access from the elevators and stairs into the main room.

"M'am, you can't go in there right now.." one of the officers said, holding her back.

"My boys are in there!" Carey screamed, noticing Zack for the first time, sitting with his back against the candy counter. "Zack!" Carey yelled, rushing past the officer and throwing her arms around her son. "Oh God, I was so scared, baby," she said, sobbing. She took his face in her hands and kissed it. Then she noticed his red, puffy eyes.

"Sweetie? Where's your brother?" Carey asked, afraid of the answer. Zack looked his mother in the eyes and opened his mouth, but no sound would come out. He shook his head and let out a choking sob. Carey felt lightheaded again and turned around. She saw the paramedics lifting her other son onto a stretcher and felt the bile rise in her stomach. She got to her feet and rushed over to the paramedics.

"Oh God, what happened to my baby!" she yelled, swaying on her feet. One of the paramedics caught her.

"Are you his mother?" The paramedic asked, nodding in Cody's direction.

"Yes..." Carey whispered, running a hand over her son's cheek.

"He has a gunshot wound to the abdomen. We need to get him to a hospital right away to know the extent of his injury." The paramedic explained.

Carey turned white. "I'm going with you," she said, turning to Moseby, who was standing a few feet away from her.

"Moseby..I..Zack.." she stuttered. Moseby nodded. "I'll get Zack to the hospital. Go with Cody," he said, clenching her hand. Carey nodded and walked out the doors with the paramedics.

Moseby turned to look at Zack, who was staring at his blood-covered hand, and sighed.

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And the verdict is...?

I really want to write this from an emotional standpoint. I want you to feel what they're feeling. I hope I'm doing it well. On a lighter note, I choked on my drink when London said "And now I know my ABD's" in the daycare episode. LOL. Sorry, had to get that out. I think that was one of the funniest episodes yet.


	6. Floating on air

Yes, I've taken a while to get this up. Sorry. But I've been busy lately. And not feeling all that well. Spring is approaching, and that usually means I get sick. Anyway, I am thinking that I will rename the chapters of this story with lyrics from the song that I used for the title. Good idea? I think they'll work nicely

So, here is chapter 6 for my writing pleasure and your reading enjoyment.

ps-I just want to reinstate that I suck at the medical stuff, so I'll take from CSI and General Hospital. It's fictional, it doesn't have to be completely accurate...

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything except the characters I make up.

At the hospital...

Carey paced around the waiting area. Cody was in surgery. "The bullet went through his stomach, and he needs surgery to remove it," the paramedic had informed her. Just thinking about a bullet in her son made Carey nauseated. She had thrown up a few times since she arrived at the hospital, but she had finally calmed down a little. She called Moseby to check on Zack and see what was taking them so long. He informed her that Maddie had taken Zack up to their suite to get cleaned up, and also to get a change of clothes for himself and his mother. "I just thought it might be a long night, and that you wouldn't want to leave the hospital," he had said. Carey had sighed and thanked him. And now she was in the waiting room, still pacing, when her phone rang.

"Hello?" she asked quietly.

"Carey?" a male voice asked back.

"Kurt? Oh, God, Kurt..." Carey said, slapping her forehead. She had completely forgotten to call the boys' father.

"Carey, I was watching the news and I saw that the Tipton was robbed and they said a boy was shot...Carey, please tell me Zack and Cody are ok. Please," Kurt said hurridly over the phone.

Carey didn't know what to say. "Kurt, I think you need to come up as soon as you can. Cody...he..." she said slowly, wiping a tear from her cheek. She couldn't finish her sentence.

"Oh, God..." Kurt whispered.

Carey heard the phone fall to the ground and silence followed.

"Kurt? Kurt, please.." She said, sitting on one of the chairs and closing her eyes. She waited, then heard a sigh on the other end.

"I'll be there as soon as possible," was the very shaky reply.

Carey sniffled and hung up the phone. She looked around the waiting room. "How could this have happened?" she thought to herself.

_At the Tipton..._

Zack was packing up some clothes and other overnight items, but he wasn't paying much attention to what he was putting in the suitcase. All he could think about was the blood covering Cody's body, and the knot in his stomach grew tighter each time the picture entered his mind. "I said I wanted him to disappear, but I didn't mean it," he thought, and the knot became even tighter. "How could this have happened? I didn't even get to apologize." Still feeling slightly detached from his body, Zack turned to see Maddie, who put her hand on his shoulder.

"Let's get going, Zack. I know you want to be with your brother," She said, taking the handle of the suitcase and guiding Zack to the door. He wanted to tell Maddie 'thank you' for helping him, but all he could do was nod. His voice wouldn't seem to work, no matter how hard he tried to make it come out.

_Back at the hospital..._

Carey was sitting in one of the chairs in the waiting room with her head in her hands when she heard a voice say, "Mrs. Martin?" It was one of Cody's doctors. Carey drew in a deep breath and looked up at the doctor.

"My name is Dr. Wagner, I'm one of the surgeons who has been working on your son," he said, holding out his hand, which Carey shook. "Cody is in critical condition right now. We managed to extract the bullet, which went up through his stomach and penetrated his left lung, but he'll be breathing on a respirator for the time being," he explained.

Carey just shook her head slightly. It was so much to take in. "Is he going to be ok?" was all she could ask. Dr. Wagner sighed.

"We need to keep a close eye on him. He'll be here for a while. We need to run a few more tests before I can allow you to see him," he said. Carey nodded. Just as the doctor left to go check on Cody, Zack walked in with Maddie, Mr. Moseby, and London.

"How is he?" Moseby asked, handing Carey her suitcase that Maddie and Zack packed. Carey closed her eyes for a moment, then said, "They got the bullet out, but it hit his lung, so he's on a respirator. They're still running tests." Zack's face paled. "Bullet in his lung? Respirator?" he thought. Suddenly he felt dizzy. He heard shouting, then his world faded to black.

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Short chapter, I know. But I have a slight mental block right now. Still full of angst. And there will be more police involvement coming up, since I'm sure you all want to know what's gonna happen w/ Felix and the boss.

Anyway, let me know what you think. Any suggestions? Anything you all want to see happen? Ideas are welcome. And I am going to give the chapters names. Eventually.


	7. When you whisper

Writer's block. I believe I'm thinking too hard. The story has gotten a lot of hits, though. But I do enjoy when you all review or send me messages, especially when you have ideas or critiques. It helps me want to do better. I guess it's nice to be reassured that you like what I'm doing.

Now, I'm off to write chapter 7 as the idea for another story arises in my mind. But, it will have to wait in the far corners of my brain until this one is finished. So get excited about chapter 7, even if it's not completely mapped out in my mind like I wish it was.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything, except the characters I make up.

Zack was running through the halls of the Tipton, searching for Cody. He could hear Cody calling out for him, but Zack had searched every room; the hotel was empty and there was no sign of his brother.

"Cody? Cody, where are you!" Zack called.

"Zack! Save me, Zack!"

Zack's heart began to pound in his chest. "I'm coming, buddy!" he yelled, running faster. Suddenly he found himself in the lobby.

"Huh?" he thought, looking around. He spotted Cody, in an oversized cage by the front desk.

"Cody!" he screamed as he tried to run toward his brother. But his feet wouldn't move. He tugged at his legs, but they were stuck to the ground. "Dammit!" he yelled, still struggling.

"Zack! Why won't you save me?" Cody asked gravely, clinging on the bars of the cage. Tears were rolling down his cheeks.

"I'm trying, buddy, I promise!" Zack called out, trying to pry his feet off the ground. Suddenly, he heard a familiar chuckle. Turning his head toward the front door, Zack saw Felix, who was twirling a gigantic bottle of superglue in his hands. "You bastard!" Zack howled, lunging toward him. But it was no use. He was stuck, and Felix laughed madly.

"Zack!" Cody screamed.

Zack ripped his eyes away from Felix and turned to face his brother. Cody was staring at his hands. To Zack's horror, Cody was starting to fade away. Cody looked up at Zack, completely helpless.

"NO! Cody, wait!" he screamed as the tears fell. He thrashed around desperately, trying to throw his body toward the cage, but he still could not move. Zack held his hand out to his brother. "Cody, please!" he wailed, as Cody also held out a hand.

"Zack..." he heard Cody whisper, just as he faded out of sight. Zack began to hyperventilate.

"NO! Cody! Wait! Come back!" Zack began to sob, as Felix howled with laughter behind him.

"NO!" Zack shot up in bed, screaming and kicking his legs. Someone was trying to calm him down, but he wouldn't have it. "Leave me alone! I have to get to Cody! He needs me!"

"Zack! Calm down, sweetie, it's me. It's your mother, calm down," Carey said, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

Zack stopped kicking and began to breathe heavily. He looked around and saw that he was in a hospital bed and a hospital gown. "Mom? What happened?" he asked, slightly confused.

"You passed out in the waiting room," Carey explained, wiping the tears from his face. Zack looked down, trying to remember. Then he looked back at his mom. "Where's Cody?" he asked.

Carey brushed back her son's hair and said, "He's out of surgery, and the doctor's are finished running tests. They're going to let us know what's going on very soon. How are you feeling?"

Zack remembered the blood on his hands and the shock of the defibrillator, which lifted his brother off the ground. He felt dizzy again, swooning in his bed. Carey helped him lay his head back and Zack closed his eyes, willing the tears not to come back.

"I'm going to get a nurse to come check you out, I'll be right back," Carey said. She kissed Zack's head and walked out of the room. Zack curled up on his side, reliving the nightmare he just had. "God," he said, looking toward the ceiling, "Please let Cody be ok."

_In the waiting room..._

Moseby, Maddie and London all bombarded Carey when she walked out of Zack's room, asking if he was ok. She told them she was going to get a nurse, just to make sure.

"We're going to go down to the cafeteria, would you like us to get you something?" Moseby asked, stroking Carey's arm. She shook her head. "I don't have much of an appetite, but thanks," She said.

Carey walked over to the receptionist and said, "I need a nurse to come check Zack out, he just woke up." The receptionist picked up her phone and called for a nurse.

"Carey?" Called out a familiar voice. Carey whipped around and saw Kurt standing behind her. He looked horrible. He walked over and embraced her. Carey just wrapped her arms around him and cried in his shoulder as he stroked her hair. After a few minutes, they pulled apart and Kurt asked, "Why is a nurse going to check on Zack? Is he ok? I thought you said Cody was hurt..."

Carey shook her head and explained, "Zack passed out when he got here." Kurt breathed a little easier. It was scary enough that one of his boys was fighting for their lives, but both would have been too much to bear.

Just then, Lieutenant Brooks came walking through the doors to the waiting room and over to Carey.

"Carey Martin?" he asked, pen and pad in hand. Carey nodded. "Yes, what can I do for you officer?"

"I'm Lieutenant Brooks, I'm with the Boston Police Department. How is your son?" Brooks asked.

"We're waiting for the doctor to let us know," she said, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. Brooks nodded.

"I was wondering if I could ask your other son a few questions," he said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He seemed anxious.

"He's in with a nurse right now. He blacked out when he got here. But I'm sure it would be ok in a little bit," she said nervously. Brooks glanced at his watch and bit the inside of his cheek.

"Alright, m'am, is Mr. Moseby still here?" Brooks asked. Carey nodded, "He's in the cafeteria with London and Maddie." Brooks nodded again and said, "OK, I'll be back in about an hour to talk to your other son...Zack, is it?" He glanced at his notepad as Carey nodded her head.

As Lieutenant Brooks walked toward the cafeteria, Dr. Wagner came walking down the hallway. Carey straightened up, and Kurt put his arm around her shoulder. The doctor stopped and shook Kurt's hand and introduced himself.

Then, Dr. Wagner looked at the two and said, "I think we should sit down..."

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I like this chapter. The last chapter was a bit rushed, and no one really commented on it. It was short and to the point, but this one is more intense. Let me know what you thought of it. Loved it? Hated it? Don't care?

And no, Kurt and Carey are not getting together. They're staying divorced. But they do share children together, and they get along ok. Their son is fighting for his life, I figured they would need to depend on each other right now.

And I changed the chapter's to have names. I'm using lyrics from the song "Suspension" by Mae. They're a little broken up, as I'm just taking pieces of them, but I like it. :)


	8. I don't need to know right now

Is this story losing it's spark? Maybe it needs a little more Felix. You all must be wondering what's going to happen to him anyway. I don't think I even know what I want to happen to him. I'm playing with ideas. And the boss? Where is he? Who knows, really. Not out of the picture, that's for sure. But Felix is loyal...he won't crack under pressure. Maybe we'll wait on Felix for one more chapter. And I must say that this story is fun to write. As was that nightmare Zack had.

UPDATE: Sorry about any confusion that was had with the fake update. I was trying to edit something in chapter 1, that I just noticed (oddly enough) and I completely screwed up. So I had to repost the chapters. It was a mess. But I think it's ok now. Let me know if you see something wrong.

Disclaimer: I do not own this show or it's characters. But I do own the characters I make up. That dirty, rotten Felix..yeah, I own him.

Carey sat in the waiting room listening to what Dr. Wagner had to say. Apparently, the bullet did more damage to Cody's lung than was originally suspected during the first surgery. "We need to perform another surgery to repair the rest of the damage to his lung," the doctor had told them. But he also told them the odds were good; there was an 85 chance he would pull through. "Of course, he'll need to stay on the respirator until his lung is fully capable of taking air in and out, without any complications," he had said.

And now Carey stood beside Cody, who was on a stretcher, as the surgeons were preparing him for another surgery.

"Everything is going to be ok, sweetie. Just hang in there, ok?" she said, kissing him on the cheek. Cody was still unresponsive, and Carey sighed, moving to the side so Kurt could have a moment with Cody, too. She thought about Zack, who was in his room talking to the police officer that Lt. Brooks sent up. She didn't tell him Cody needed another surgery, it would only upset him more. She would tell him the doctors were running some more tests if he asked to see him. That should buy her some time.

In Zack's room...

Zack was sitting upright in his hospital bed, fiddling with the TV remote, when a police officer entered his room. Putting down the remote, he looked up at the officer who was tall and lanky, with short, light brown hair and bright brown eyes. A small, yet apparent scar graced the area above his left eyebrow, and Zack noticed his uniform was spotless. "Who are you?" he asked.

The officer smiled and held out his hand for him to shake. "Hi, Zack, I'm officer James Peters. I work for Lt. Brooks. I just need to ask you a few things about what happened today." Zack looked hesitantly at the officer's hand, but he finally shook it after a moment. Peters sat down beside him.

"Zack, where were you when the men entered the hotel?" Peters asked, taking out his pen and pad. Zack shifted uncomfortably in his bed. He was going over to talk to Cody, to tell him he was sorry for saying that he wished he would disappear. But he never had the chance and the thought was eating him up inside. "I was going to talk to my brother..." Zack said, almost whispering. He wrinkled his face a little to try and stop the tears that were forming.

Peters sighed, noticing how uncomfortable Zack was becoming. He thought for a minute and then said, "Here, let me show you something." He was reaching for something. Zack lifted his head and glanced over at Peters, who took a picture out of his wallet. He handed the picture to Zack. Zack looked it over for a few seconds, which showed a younger Peters sitting outside a house with his arm around a woman, and asked, "Who is that in the picture with you?"

"That's my twin sister, Susan," Peters said, smiling as he looked at the picture.

"You have a twin?" Zack asked, shooting his head up to stare at Peters, who nodded.

"Listen Zack, I know what you're going through right now. Five years ago, my sister was driving home from work and some drunk ran a red light, crashing their car into hers. He got out of the car and took off, but my sister wasn't so lucky. She was in a coma for eight months and now she's stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. We never found the guy that hit her," Peters explained.

Zack stared silently at Peters, who continued, "The point is, I know you're feeling helpless right now. You don't know what's going to happen to your brother. I've been there."

"I haven't even had the chance to see him yet! My mom won't tell me anything! For all I know, he could be dead!" Zack cried, getting worked up again.

Peters placed a hand on his shoulder and looked Zack in the eye. "You would know if your twin wasn't alive, and you know that. Brothers and sisters share bonds with each other, but twins have a special bond. You have to believe that he's going to be ok. I never stopped believing that my sister would wake up. You have to be there for Cody, he needs you more than ever right now," Peters said, never breaking his eye's away from Zack's.

Zack knew he was right and nodded his head vigorously. Cody would be there for him if he needed it. Suddenly Zack felt a little stronger. "OK, you're right. But what should I do now?" he asked, handing the picture back to Peters.

The officer put the picture back in his wallet and said, "Start by telling me everything that you remember happening in the hotel today so we can put these guys away for good." He gave Zack a small smile, which Zack returned.

"OK," Zack said, nodding again. "I was walking over to Cody when this guy with a really long ponytail came through the front doors..."

In the hospital cafeteria...

Maddie was wringing her hands and pacing around the table where Moseby, London and Lt. Brooks were sitting. Brooks looked at Moseby and asked, "So then what happened?"

Moseby ran a hand over his forehead. "Well, he pointed his gun at Zack, saying he was going to take someone down with him. I just jumped on him, I wasn't even thinking. I didn't want him to shoot one of the boys," he explained with a shaky voice. Brooks nodded and stood up. He put his pad and pen back into his shirt pocket.

"Alright, Mr. Moseby, London and Maddie," he said, shaking their hands. "I think we have all we need at the moment. If I need more information, I'll get in touch with you." He nodded his head at them and walked out of the cafeteria. Maddie wiped a stray tear from her face and took out her phone to check her messages. London looked at her and gasped. She dug into her shoe and pulled out her phone.

"What's wrong, London?" Moseby asked, looking at her oddly.

"My phone has been turned off this whole time! My dad must be going crazy!" she exclaimed, turning her phone on and cringing at the message alert. "12 new voice messages," she said, walking over to the other side of the room to call her father. Moseby was mentally kicking himself when he realized that his phone was still sitting on the front desk at the Tipton.

After a few minutes, London came back over to the table. She had a mixture of happy and sad painted on her face. "I told daddy what happened. Even about the diamond. He said he'll call you later, Moseby, because he wants to know everything about those two guys. And he's said he wants to get some private investigators to try and find that nasty boss guy," she explained.

"Was your father angry about losing his most prized posession?" Maddie asked sullenly. London smiled. "He told me he didn't lose his most prized posession because I'm still alive," she proclaimed, beaming. Maddie and Moseby coulnd't help but feel a little happiness for London.

"So, daddy wanted to fly up here, but I told him he didn't have to. Then he said he wanted to fly me out to where he is," she said, putting her phone back in her shoe.

"What airport is he sending the jet to and what time do we need to get you there?" Moseby asked, straightening his slightly disheveled shirt collar. London shook her head.

"I told him I would come when I know that Cody's gonna be ok," she said, smiling a very sad smile. Maddie got up and hugged her.

In the waiting room...

Carey and Kurt were sitting in a waiting room close to where Cody was being operated on. She felt a pang of guilt for not telling Zack that Cody needed another surgery, but she knew it was for the better. Suddenly a few nurses came running by and Carey felt nervous. Kurt looked around at her, furrowing his brow. Another nurse came running by with one of the surgeons. Carey heard her say "We've got a Code Blue emergency in room 2B."

Carey looked at Kurt as the fear welled up inside both their bodies. Cody was in room 2B...

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OK, took me long enough, but I have good reason. I've had 6 tests in 2 weeks. Yuck. Please tell me what you think. Good? Bad? You know I love your comments.


	9. Caught in suspension

It's April 8, and I'm starting to type up chapter 9. I'm not finished with it, but I wanted to start typing it. And I'm listening to this song on a CD my friend got me for my birthday last week, and I'm almost in tears because it's so beautiful to me right now. And it reminds me of this story so bad. I'll have to write something using these lyrics. I have a knot in my chest. It's been an emotional day.

I hope you enjoy the chapter. It's a long one. There is a bit of swearing in it, so brace yourself. Nothing extremely bad, just mad people, yelling. And remember I fixed the reviews, so everyone can review. The more you enjoy and review, the faster I write.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Suite Life or any characters, except the ones I make up.

_In Zack's room..._

A few minutes after Officer Peters left, Zack was sitting on his hospital bed holding Cody's blue blankie. He had packed it along with his and his mom's change of clothes, in case Cody was scared when he woke up. He was rubbing it against his cheek when suddenly his breath caught in his throat and he gasped. "Something's wrong," he said aloud, looking around uneasily. He felt dizzy and nauseous. Hopping down off his bed, he threw blankie over his shoulder and walked out of his room in search of his mother.

_In the waiting area..._

Carey was screaming at everyone in the waiting room. "What's a Code Blue? Someone tell me what the _hell_ a Code Blue is!" she was wailing. Kurt tried to calm her down, but that only made her more angry.

"Don't tell me to calm down, Kurt! I have a right to know what's going on in my son's operating room! I'm his damn mother, I have the right to know!" she screamed, throwing his arms off of her. One of the nurses came over.

"Miss Martin, They're doing everything they can to make sure you're son makes it through that surgery. You've got the best surgical team in Massachusetts working on him right now. Please, sit down and I'll have one of Cody's surgical team come out to talk to you as soon as they can," the nurse said reassuringly. Carey reluctently sat down and started crying.

By this time, Maddie had wandered up to the waiting room after being told by one of the receptionist's that Cody Martin was in the middle of another surgery. She was worried and wanted to find Carey. Unfortunately, she found her in the middle of a breakdown.

"What happened, Carey? Oh God, is Cody ok?" she asked, worry painted all over her face. Carey shook her head.

"I don't know! He had to go in for another surgery, and now they're saying there's a Code Blue and I don't know what that is and no one will tell me," Carey said hurriedly. As soon as Carey said this, a voice rang out in anger, "What surgery?"

Carey, Kurt and Maddie turned their heads in shock. It was Zack, who was standing a few feet away from them, fuming.

"Zack, honey.." Carey started, wiping the tears from her face. She began walking toward him, but Zack took a few steps back, stopping her in her tracks.

"I said _what surgery_?" he asked through clenched teeth, balling his hands into fists at his sides.

"Zack, Cody had more damage done to his lung than the doctors originally thought and they had to operate again," Kurt explained, holding out his hand in hopes that Zack would take it. He didn't.

"Why didn't you tell me? He's my twin! Now he could be dying and I never got the chance to say goodbye!" Zack yelled. Shaking with anger, he ran down the hall, away from his parents. Carey made a move to go after him, but Maddie stopped her.

"I'll go find him. You need to stay here and wait for one of Cody's surgeons to come tell you what's going on," she said and Carey nodded.

_Meanwhile, at Police Headquarters..._

Lt. Brooks was standing in one of the interrogation rooms at the station, spinning a tea bag around a mug of hot water. Every now and then, he would look up at the man, who was sitting behind a square table in handcuffs, across the room. Behind a long, rectangular mirror (or what appeared to be a mirror), which sat on the wall to the right of Brooks, stood Officer Peters. He was watching the Lieutenant and the man in handcuffs intently with one arm crossed over his chest and the other with his hand in a fist over his mouth. Finally, after a long silence, Brooks spoke up.

"So, Felix," he said, putting his mug down on the table. He walked slowly around to the other side of the table and put both his hands on it. He leaned in, just inches away from Felix's face, and said, "What's this I hear about you stealing a diamond and shooting a 13 year old kid?"

"I didn't shoot no kid, and I didn't steal nothing either," Felix answered, shaking his head. On the other side of the wall, Peters was growing more and more angry by the second.

Brooks let out a fake laugh and clapped Felix on the shoulder. "See, Felix, I got at least six witnesses telling me that you did. They tell me that you held a gun on two innocent boys while your partner stole a very valuable stone," Brooks said, tightening his grip on Felix's shoulder with every word.

"Well, looks like your witnesses need to get their eyes checked, because that ain't how it went," Felix said, trying to pull himself from Brooks.

"You shot a kid, Felix!" Brooks said loudly, shaking his head. "I got an officer at the hospital right now, keeping me updated on his condition. If he dies, you win yourself a trip down death row on a first degree murder charge!" he added, with a sad smile.

"Stupid kid, he deserves to die," Felix muttered. All of a sudden, the doors to the interrogation room burst open and someone ran in, grabbing Felix by his shirt collar, and threw him against the wall.

"What did you say, you son of a bitch?" It was Officer Peters, fuming.

"Peters!" Brooks yelled, trying to pull him off Felix.

"If that boy dies, I will _personally_ strap you down and stick that needle in your arm!" Peters screamed, shaking Felix, who was gasping for air.

"Peters, that's enough! Get off of him!" Brooks said, pulling Peters off of Felix.

"You just gonna let him do that to me? I'll file a complaint with the head of the department!" Felix said, straightening his shirt.

"Am I going to let him do what, Felix? I didn't see him do anything. Did you see him do anything, Mac?" Brooks asked to the officer at the door while guiding a very hot Peters out of the room.

"I didn't see anything, boss," Mac said, helping Felix up. Felix looked at the two of them, shocked.

"Keep him here while I talk to James," Brooks said to Mac, and then walked out of the room. He turned to Peters.

"What the hell was that, James?" Brooks said, crossing his arms. Peters looked away.

"That bastard needs to be put away, Ed. He's sick," Peters said, his voice cracking. Brooks sighed.

"I know you spoke to the twin of the boy who was shot. You're thinking of Susan, aren't you?" he asked, and Peters turned away again. Brooks shook his head. "You can't get attached to these cases, James, you know that!"

Peters looked at Brooks and said, "I'm sorry, Ed. It won't happen again."

"Damn right it won't happen again!" Brooks said, as one of the department receptionists came over and handed him a note. "It's from Paul, he says it's urgent," she said. Brooks read the paper and rubbed his hand over his face.

"What is it?" Peters asked, bracing himself for the worst because he knew that Paul was the officer stationed outside Cody's door. Brooks looked at him and let out a long breath.

"The kid made it through the second surgery," Brooks said, and Peters closed his eyes in relief. Brooks patted his collegue on the shoulder and walked back into the interrogation room.

_At the hospital..._

Carey was pacing up and down the hallway when one of Cody's surgeons came down to meet with her and Kurt. She began talking breathlessly.

"What happened? What's a Code Blue? Is he alright? Please, tell me he's alive!" she was saying through sobs. The surgeon put up his hands and tried to stop her.

"Miss Martin? Mr. Martin? I'm Dr. Brenton. Let's sit down, ok?" he said, ushering Kurt and Carey to the chairs.

"We had a few complications, but we managed to fix the rest of the damage to your son's lung. Now, the complication we were having was that we didn't know about an extra hole that was made by the bullet. So there was blood filling up his lung, and we didn't know where it was coming from. Now, now, let me finish," Dr. Brenton was saying, as Carey was becoming more visibly upset by every word he said. "Now, we missed this hole on the X-ray, so we called in Dr. Sipes to help us. That was the Code Blue that you heard. He's a specialist. He found the problem and helped us fix it. Cody is in recovery right now. He's still unresponsive and on a respirator, but hopefully that will change in the next couple of days. I'm going to check out some X-rays, but there is a nurse in with Cody right now. When she's finished, I don't see why you couldn't sit with him for a while."

Carey stood up, hugged the Dr. tightly and whispered, "Thank you." Dr. Brenton smiled and nodded. Then he shook Kurt's hand, who also thanked him, and walked away. Carey took out her cell phone to call Maddie.

_In the hospital chapel..._

Zack was sitting in one of the pews, staring at the alter. He hadn't been to church in a long time and didn't know whether he should be in there or not. But there was no one around and he needed somewhere quiet to be. He kept thinking about Cody, wondering if he was still alive.

_"You would know if your twin wasn't alive, and you know that."_ Officer Peters' words were going through his mind, but Zack still couldn't help the horrible feeling boiling in the pit of his stomach.

"I just want my brother back!" he yelled, looking up at the figure on the cross in front of him and banging his fists on the pew in front of him.

"Zack?" called a soft voice from behind. Zack whipped around and saw Maddie standing in the door of the chapel. He sniffled and wiped his face with the back of his hand.

"What do you want?" he asked, turning back around to face the alter and folding his arms. Maddie walked up and sat down next to him.

"I just wanted to make sure you were ok," she said, nudging him with her arm. Zack jerked away and put his head down.

"Look, Zack, your mom didn't want you to worry. Besides, the doctors said the surgery was surefire," Maddie said, putting on a fake smile so she wouldn't show Zack how worried she actually was.

"Then why was she crying like that? And what's a Code Blue?" Zack asked angrily.

"The last time she told you what was going on, you passed out," Maddie said, looking at Zack, who rolled his eyes.

"Look, Zack, I'm sure..." Maddie was saying, when her phone rang. She held up a finger to Zack and answered it. "Hello?...Hi, Carey...Yeah, he's right here...Really! That's great!...Yeah, I'll tell him!" Maddie put her phone away and smiled genuinely at Zack.

"Your brother made it through the surgery, we can go in and see him now," she said, clasping her hand around Zack's.

Zack let out a small sigh of relief and the burning feeling in his chest started to subside. He looked up at the figure on the cross and whispered, "Thank you." Then he walked out of the chapel with Maddie.

He was finally going to see his brother.

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Ok, all done with chapter 9. I figured I'd spare you a mean cliffie. I was going to end it with the sentence _Brooks looked at him and let out a long breath._ But I didn't want to do that. Because I'm going on vacation for easter, and I won't have computer access for over a week! I hope you can all hold out for that long! Anyway, review! I like this chapter, so tell me if I'm right for liking it, or if I need to tweak it at all!

Have a good easter holiday everyone, even if you don't celebrate it!


	10. Lately I'm alright

With summer vacation just around the corner, I'll finally be able to work on my writing. Only having to work a summer job, I can spend more time worrying about my stories and not worrying about when my next paper is due! Which is why I haven't updated in a while. Anyway, There will probably be only 2 more chapters after this one, because I have the outlines done, and I'm gonna stick to it (and I'm very excited about the end; hopefully I can write it well enough for you all). Plus, that idea for another Suite Life story that I was talking about..the one that was brewing when I wrote chapter 7? It is now completely full blown. No hints yet, but it will be here soon.

Onto more exciting things, like chapter 10. I know it's not very long, but it wasn't intended to be. But it has brotherly love. I know how you all like that, especially Sketchy Ghost ;). I still hope you enjoy!

--I have a horrible earache that I can't seem to get rid of. Please bare with me, and thanks for waiting so patiently for my update.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any Suite Life characters. However, I do own the characters you probably don't recognize, because I made them up.

_At the hospital..._

Carey was outside her son's hospital room with Kurt, Moseby, and London. They were all waiting for the nurse to let them know when it was alright for them to see Cody. Carey was nervously pacing back and forth in front of the hospital room door when Maddie and Zack came walking slowly down the hall. Zack looked at his mother for a second, then quickly turned his head. Obviously, he was still feeling betrayed by Carey, since she never told him that Cody needed to have a second surgery. And Carey knew it, so she decided not to push it. She would wait until he came around.

Kurt, on the other hand, felt that Zack owed his mother an apology for blowing up at her and was about to voice his opinion when the nurse walked out of Cody's room. Everyone's head snapped in her direction and they waited to hear the news.

"Are you all here for Cody?" the nurse asked politely.

"YES!" everyone yelled in unison. The nurse took a small step back and put her hand on her chest.

"Well, now, we all must be anxious. Alright, let me just say a few things first. Cody is still not responding to light, touch, or sound. This doesn't mean he's going to be unresponsive forever. I just don't want anyone to get upset when you go in there. Also," the nurse went on, "remember to keep a positive attitude around him. It's a proven fact that positive reinforcement from loved ones help paitents to recover more quickly. Anyone have questions?"

Zack was shuffling impaitently from one foot to the other. "Why won't she just shut up and let us in?" he thought to himself.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the nurse said, "Follow me, please." And with that, everyone piled into Cody's hospital room.

Zack stood back and took it all in. There was his brother, lying helpless in that hospital bed, with machines beeping all around him. There was tape around his mouth, holding in a tube down his throat. The tube was hooked up to a machine. Small ticking sounds were coming from that machine each time Cody's chest rose and fell. Zack guessed that was the respirator. The machine breathing for his brother, because Cody was too weak to do it on his own. Zack's head began to spin again, but he told himself to stay strong. "Mom would go nuts if I passed out again," he said to himself.

For the next hour, everyone took their turn holding Cody's hands and telling him they loved him. Everyone except Zack. He felt uncomfortable with everyone in the room, so he stayed in a seat close to the window. When everyone had finished, they decided to go down to the cafeteria to grab some dinner, since it was getting late.

"Zack, you hungry?" Carey asked hesitantly. Zack just shook his head vigorously and folded his arms. Carey nodded.

"Ok, honey, we're going to get some food. Why don't you stay here with Cody?" she said, trying to look him in the eye. Zack just nodded, still refusing to make eye contact with his mother.

Carey turned to leave with everyone when Kurt looked at her. "Carey.." he said, but Carey just shook her head.

"Not now, Kurt. Let's just get something to eat," she said, taking him by the arm and walking out the door behind Moseby, London and Maddie.

Zack was now alone with his brother. "Finally," he said out loud. He stood up and walked cautiously over to his twin. He pulled up a chair and sat down next to Cody, taking Cody's hand in his.

"Hey, little bro. I don't know if you can hear me right now, but I'm here. I've been here the whole time. And I brought something for you," Zack said, pulling blankie off his shoulder and covering Cody with it.

Zack took in a deep breath as the knot in his throat started to tighten. "I know you're probably scared right now, but it's ok. There are these really great doctors here, and they're taking really good care of you," Zack said as the tears welling up in his eyes started to spill over. He wiped them away in frustration.

"Look, Cody, I didn't mean what I said back at the hotel," Zack cried desperately. "I would never want you to disappear! You're my other half; you're my twin, and I can't live without you! And I know I'm not the best brother in the world, but I love you so much, and I really need you. You have to wake up, ok? I'm so sorry for what I said. I don't know if you'll ever forgive me, but I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it." As Zack choked out the last sentence with a broken voice, he felt someone squeeze his hand. He shot his head down and saw Cody's hand clasped in his own. He looked back at his brother and let out a small sob, putting his head down on his brother's hand and letting his tears fall freely onto it. Then he climbed into the hospital bed next to Cody and embraced his brother tightly.

"I'll never leave you, Cody," he whispered into his twin's ear. After wiping his tears from his face, Zack kissed the top of Cody's head. Sniffling a little, he curled up against his brother's body, wrapped his arms around Cody's neck, and fell asleep.

_30 minutes later..._

Carey came walking towards Cody's room with a bag of food in her hand. She thought Zack might be hungry, and she knew that he wouldn't leave Cody's side. When she walked in the room, she stopped. There was Zack, snuggled against his brother, asleep. She put her hand to her mouth and stifled a small cry. She smiled a little as she walked over and kissed both her boys gently. After one last look, Carey said, "Goodnight, my angels." And with that, she walked out of the room and closed the door.

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Liked it? Hated it? Think I'm the coolest writer ever? Think I'm the worst writer ever? Voice your opinion! Review!

And do you have any unanswered questions? Don't worry. They will all be answered in the end.

**edit**: would have had this up earlier, but the site wasn't cooperating. some kind of processing error.


	11. I've figured out

I'm glad you all enjoyed the brotherly love! And I don't have another test until next week, so I figured with a little extra free time, why not write a little? And the chapters come by so much easier when you have them mapped out in an outline. Plus, I wanted to leave you with a little something to think about, because I'll be studying for tests and writing papers, so I don't know when the last chapter will get up here. I really want to write it well for you all.

So here is chapter 11. Next to last chapter. Enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the suite life. I don't even own the car I drive. The only thing I own, really, is my iPOD. Kinda sad, when you think about it...

_At the hospital..._

It had been a week since Cody squeezed Zack's hand. He hadn't woken up yet, but his doctor said that Cody was getting stronger. So strong, in fact, they could take him off the respirator. When they took the tube out, Zack was frightened. Cody started to gag and cough violently. He also didn't start breathing right away, which caused the family to go into hysterics. But after a few scary seconds, Cody took in a huge breath, relieving Carey, Zack and the doctors as well.

"This is a good sign," one of them said. Zack just stroked Cody's head, thanking him quietly for breathing.

Over the next two weeks, cards and flowers kept pouring in. Workers from the Tipton and Cody's friends from school stopped by, also. Even Lt. Brooks came by to see how Cody was doing, and to update Carey and Moseby on the investigation.

"We're following a lead right now as to where Felix's partner might be. Felix is pretty close to cracking, too," Brooks had explained.

One person came by every day, besides Moseby and the girls, and that person was officer Peters. He and Zack spent a lot of time in Cody's room, exchanging stories about how much trouble they had gotten into with their twins.

"One time, when Susan and I were young, she convinced me that I could fly. So, I got on top of my dad's armoire, and I jumped off while flapping my arms," Peters had explained.

"What happened?" Zack said, laughing.

"I broke my leg, and Mom made Susan take care of me until I could walk again," Peters said, smiling and laughing.

"I pushed Cody off a swing once, and he sprained his wrist," Zack told Peters.

Peters laughed. "I think all siblings have fought physically at one time or another," he had said.

"Yeah. Cody pushed me, too. But it saved _my_ life and put _his_ in danger," Zack said gravely, looking over at his brother. Peters put his hand on Zack's shoulder.

"Remember what I told you, Zack," he said. Zack nodded.

Cody had become more responsive with each passing day, which made Zack feel better. He would squeeze Zack's hand and stir in his bed when Zack spoke to him. Everyone was feeling hopeful.

After officer Peters left, Zack was sitting with Carey in Cody's room. They were each on a different side of the bed, and neither of them spoke. Carey would glance in Zack's direction every now and then, but for a long time, there was silence. This made Zack feel guilty. He had never apologized to his mother for blowing up at her over the surgery, and he hadn't been very nice to her at all lately. After a few more minutes of silence, Zack stood up and walked over to his mother and wrapped his arms around her. Startled, Carey waited a few seconds before returning the embrace. A minute passed before Zack let go and made eye contact with his mother for the first time in weeks.

"What was that for?" she asked dumbfounded.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you the other week. I was just scared I would never see my brother again," Zack explained, putting his head on his mother's shoulder.

Carey shook her head and hugged her son again. Then she kissed his head and said to him, "It's ok, Zack. And I should have told you about the surgery, so I'm sorry." Zack smiled.

"I love you, mom," he said genuinely.

"I love you too, baby," Carey said, returning his smile.

_Later that day..._

Zack was asleep in the chair next to his brother. His mom and dad, along with Moseby and the girls, had gone to grab something to eat in the cafeteria. It was becoming a habit; everyone went to eat, Zack stayed with Cody, and his mom brought him something back. He just couldn't bring himself to leave Cody's side. It was hard enough to have to go to school during the day. Luckily, today was saturday, so Zack could spend the whole day at Cody's side.

A while after falling asleep, Zack started to stir. He shot his head up, suddenly feeling anxious, and wiped the sleep from his eyes. He started to look around the room, noticing that everyone was still gone, when he glanced over at Cody. Zack froze; he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Cody?" he barely whispered.

There was his brother, sitting up in his bed. He turned to Zack and grinned at him.

"Hi," he said hoarsley.

Zack started shaking as he rose to his feet.

"It's ok, Zack," Cody said. He sounded so weak.

Zack smiled brightly and jumped onto Cody's bed. He threw his arms around Cody as he felt tears beginning to sting his eyes. Cody winced a little, but still smiled.

"Just be careful, it kinda hurts right there," he said, moving Zack's body away from the bandage wrapped around his stomach.

"I'm sorry, Cody. I'm just so happy to hear your voice," Zack said, still hugging his brother.

"You hear it every day, it's the same as yours," Cody said playfully. Zack laughed, breaking the embrace.

"And I never thought I'd be so happy to hear your sarcastic remarks, either," Zack said. The two started laughing softly.

"How do you feel, buddy?" Zack asked, becoming serious again. He noticed how pale Cody looked.

"Well, ok, I guess. I don't really know how how I'm supposed to feel. I've never been shot before," Cody said, trying to joke. But Zack didn't laugh.

"I was really scared, Cody. When I saw you lying there with all that blood all over you? It scared me to death," Zack said quietly. "You didn't have to do that, you know," he added.

"Do what?" Cody asked, confused.

"Push me like that," Zack said. Cody started shaking his head.

"I would do it again. A million times. I wouldn't let anyone hurt you. Ever," Cody said in an almost whisper, looking Zack in the eyes. Then he smiled again. Zack was about to tell Cody that he would never let anything happen to him again, when the door opened. They turned their heads in time to see Carey drop the bag of food she was holding, burst into tears, run over and start kissing her son's face.

After being checked out by his doctor and getting a thumbs up, everyone came piling into the room. They were hugging and kissing Cody, telling him how happy they were that he was awake. Some time had gone by when someone opened the door, knocking on it.

"Knock, knock," he said. It was officer Peters.

"Officer Peters!" Zack said happily. Peters smiled and walked over to Cody.

"How are you, little man? They told me you were awake," Peters said, holding out his hand toward Cody. Cody shook it.

"Doing ok. Zack was telling me about you. Thank you for being there for him when I couldn't," he said.

"Anytime, buddy," Peters said, nodding.

Half an hour passed before Cody started yawning and was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. Carey noticed, and announced that she was going back to the Tipton to grab some of Cody's things for him, since he was going to be confined to the hospital for a little while longer. Kurt offered to go with her.

"Get some sleep, kiddo," Kurt said to Cody, kissing him on his forehead. Carey hugged and kissed him as well, and turned to Zack.

"You feel like coming, Zack?" she asked. Zack shook his head.

"I'm gonna go to the cafeteria with officer Peters," he said. They all said their goodbyes to Cody, and walked out of the room. Peters and Zack headed toward the cafeteria, Carey and Kurt headed toward the Tipton, and Moseby, Maddie and London stayed behind for a few minutes to discuss the robbery.

"Lt. Brooks said they're following a lead and that they might catch that boss guy soon," Moseby was telling the girls.

"That would be a happy ending, wouldn't it? You know, I never saw him, but he sounds really creepy," Maddie said while making an "eww" face.

"Oh, he was. Even creepier than when he worked at the Tipton," London said, nodding her head. Maddie and Moseby just looked at her.

"Wait...wait...what?" Moseby said, holding his hand up and looking at London, confused.

"Yeah, before you fired him," London said, still nodding. Maddie opened her mouth slightly, then shut it again, not knowing what to say.

"London...what are you talking about? Moseby asked. He guided her over to a bench and they sat down.

"The maintenence guy. The one you fired last year," London told him. Moseby thought for a minute, then looked at London with wide eyes.

"Artie? The one who was stealing from the guests? That was Artie?" Moseby asked her. London nodded again. Moseby thought for a few more minutes, and started to see it.

"I mean, his hair is much longer and he got a terrible nose job..not to mention that icky scar under his eye and all the other little scars on his face. But yeah, him. Why is it such a big deal?" London asked, looking confused.

"Wait," Maddie said, shaking her head and waving her hands. "I thought you said he quit? He was stealing?"

"Yes, he was stealing," Moseby said quietly.

"How do you know that? You had proof?" Maddie asked.

"Yes, we had proof. Actually, it was a few weeks after Carey and the twins moved in. Zack and Cody were doing that documentary for school about their home, remember? They were lugging that video camera around, putting it in our faces every second of the day?" Moseby said, and Maddie nodded. "Well, they were walking around, filming, when they caught Artie swiping a gold watch from a guest's suitcase. They showed me the tape, and I confronted Artie. He denied it, so I showed him a copy of the tape, and I threatened to call the police and turn in the tape if he didn't vacate the premesis."

"Does he know that it was the boys who filmed him?" Maddie asked fearfully.

"No, no..I wouldn't put them in danger like that. But we still need to inform the police of this. London, why didn't you say something?" Moseby asked, slightly irritated. London shrugged.

"I didn't think it was important. Did I do something wrong?" she asked, on the verge of tears. Moseby sighed.

"No, sweetie, but we need to talk to the police, ok? If Artie finds out it was the boys who cost him his job, they could be in serious trouble," He said. The three of them walked out of the hospital and to the car to inform Lt. Brooks.

Meanwhile, a man with a very long ponytail was eavesdropping on Moseby, Maddie, and London's conversation. Dressed as a surgeon, he grabbed a scalpel and surgical tape off a nearby cart, and slipped unnoticed into Cody's hospital room.

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So? What do you think? Love it or hate it? Let me know!


	12. Lately I'm not scared

Alright, guys, this is it. The end of the road. Chapter 12. I hope you are completely out of your minds with anticipation and excitement. Well, I won't go that far, but I do hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. Sad, but true..

_Cody's hospital room..._

The boss, or Artie, lightly shut Cody's hospital room door and turned around to face the sleeping blonde boy within.

"You," he whispered through clenched teeth. He watched Cody's chest rise and fall for a little while as he stood in thought. Then he began walking slowly and quietly towards the bed. "You're the reason I haven't been able to find a job for the past year," he said a little louder, his anger getting the best of him. Cody began to stir. "Now lets see, what would be the best way to kill you?" Cody heard as he opened his eyes groggily. He felt someone jerk him into a sitting position and he cried out in pain.

"Make one sound and I slice open your throat," Artie said into Cody's ear, placing the scalpel onto Cody's throat. He could feel the cold metal pressing the his neck as the man held it there with one hand. The other hand was being used to wrap tape around Cody's wrists. Cody started breathing heavily as he felt a sharp pain go through his stomach from where his gunshot wound was.

Artie finished taping up Cody's hands and moved to the front of the bed. Cody's eyes grew wide as beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. Artie grinned.

"Do you know who I am, kid?" he asked, twirling the scalpel in his hand. Cody glanced nervously at the instrument.

"No," he said, his voice still raspy from having a tube down his throat for so long.

Artie chuckled. He moved in just inches away from Cody's face. Cody could feel his hot breath and turned his head slightly.

"I'm your worst nightmare," Artie said slowly. Cody turned his head back towards Artie and looked him in the eye.

"That's a bit cliché, isn't it?" he asked defiantly. The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Artie let out a quiet, yet maniacal laugh.

"You got guts, kid," he said, nodding his head in approval. Then he smacked Cody hard across the face. Cody whimpered, pressing his cheek onto his shoulder.

"Too bad you're going to die," Artie said, slapping a piece of tape across Cody's mouth. Cody looked around wildly.

"Help...please...Zack..." he thought to himself as his breathing became more and more shallow from fear.

_In the cafeteria..._

Zack and Peters were enjoying their dinner when Peter's cell phone rang.

"Peters...Hey, Ed, what's up?" Peters said, holding up his finger to Zack. He stood up and walked a few feet away. Zack shrugged, taking another bite of his sandwitch, when he suddenly felt a knot form in the pit of his stomach.

"Something's wrong..." he thought to himself, looking uneasily towards Peters. He was twirling his spoon in his pudding when the officer came back over and sat down in front of him.

"Zack, do you remember a man named Artie? He worked at the Tipton when you and your family first moved there," Peters said, placing his phone back on his hip.

Zack thought for a minute. "Yeah, he was stealing. Me and Cody..we were using mom's video camera and we got him on tape. Why?"

Peters sighed and folded his hands together, placing them on the table. "Mr. Moseby went down to the police station with London and Maddie. He says that London told him Artie is Felix's partner. She said she recognized him from when he worked at the hotel."

Zack twisted his lips and thought about it for a moment. Nodding his head slightly, he said, "I could see it, I guess. We really didn't see him much because we were only there a few weeks, but I can still see it." Peters looked worried.

"Zack, Lt. Brooks is sending over an officer to post outside Cody's room and I think it would be best if we had an officer stay with you and your mother, too," Peters said quietly.

"You're scaring me. I don't understand," Zack whispered, looking over his shoulder. Peters shook his head.

"I'm not trying to scare you. But from what Mr. Moseby says, Artie isn't exactly stable. Mr. Moseby says he threatened to get revenge, and if that's the case, I don't want anything to happen to you or your family. If he finds out somehow that you and your brother are responsible for what happened..._I_ would feel more comfortable, personally, if you let an officer stay with you. Until we catch this guy, ok?" Peters said. He looked at Zack and furrowed his brow. "Zack, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

Zack's face was slightly paler than it had been a few minutes ago. "Peters? I want to go back to Cody's room. I just had a really bad feeling...I just want to be with Cody," Zack said, rising shakily from his chair. Peters got to his feet.

"Sure, buddy. Let's go," he said in a comforting voice. He walked over to Zack and put a hand on his shoulder, ushering him out of the room and towards the elevator.

The whole way up, Zack was twisting his hands in his shirt, looking nervously at the numbers as each floor passed by.

"Zack, everything's gonna be ok," Peters said. Zack looked up at him.

"I'll feel better once I'm with Cody," he said. The elevator doors opened and Zack and Peters stepped out. The floor was almost completely deserted except for one nurse, who was looking over a paitent chart. Zack and Peters turned towards the left and began walking down to Cody's room. As they began to get closer, Zack felt a wave of nausea flow through him, and he began to walk faster. Once outside Cody's room, Zack, with Peters right behind him, threw open the door and stopped dead in his tracks. There was Cody with tape over his mouth, his arms taped behind his back, and Artie, who whipped around. Artie rushed behind Cody, grabbing Cody's head and pushing the scalpel further onto his throat. Officer Peters grabbed the gun at his side and held it facing the crazed man.

"Cody!" Zack screamed, trying to rush over. But he was held back by one of Peter's hands.

"Drop the weapon, Artie!" Peters said in a threatening voice. Artie laughed wildly.

"Do you really think you're in a position to tell _me_ what to do, officer? And you, kid..make one more move and you get your brother's esophagus as a trophy!" he spat, pushing the tool harder into Cody's neck. A small stream of blood began to trickle down his throat, and Cody let out a strangled moan. Zack looked at his brother in fear.

"Artie, just let Cody go and we can talk about this," Peters was saying, trying to be reasonable. Artie huffed.

"You think I'm going to let my only leverage go? How about you drop your gun or I kill the kid. How about that?" Arite yelled. He tightened his grip on Cody.

"Ok, ok," Peters said, putting his hands up in self defense. He held the gun out to one side, crouched down and placed the gun on the floor. Artie nodded.

"Now kick it over to me. NOW!" he bellowed. Peters kicked the gun over and Artie leaned down cautiously, never letting go of Cody, and picked up the gun.

"Why don't you let Cody go now. You have the gun, just let him go," Peters said quietly. Artie laughed again.

"And miss out on my revenge? These little brats ruined my life!" he said with anger in his voice. He was waving the gun around Cody's head.

Zack and Cody locked eyes. Zack shook his head slightly. "No, Cody.." he said softly. Cody just looked at his brother, and Zack knew what he was going to do. He braced himself.

Artie was still going on about how he could never get his life back. He didn't notice when Cody turned his body slightly and lifted his foot. Suddenly, Cody took one swift kick to Artie's groin. Artie yelped, falling backwards.

"No! Cody! Zack!" Peters yelled, as Zack launched himself forward to grab his brother. Artie, stunned for only a second, sprang into action. He pointed the gun towards the twins and shot. Cody and Zack fell onto the floor, the bullet missing Zack's head by a few inches. Cody cried out when they fell, pain rushing through his body and through his arm, where the IV ripped out.

"Get out of here!" Peters yelled at the boys as he ran towards Artie. He threw a punch and hit Artie in his already crooked nose. Artie started cursing and aimed the gun at Peters. Zack saw this and yelled "Watch out!" Peters turned and ducked his head as Artie took a shot. He hit Cody's IV bag and liquid spilled out everywhere. Peters lunged towards Artie and tried to grab the gun. He rammed Artie against a wall and the gun fell to the floor as they began to struggle with each other.

Zack brought Cody to his feet and shifted Cody's weight onto his body. "I'll get you out of here, buddy, I promise," Zack said as he started pulling Cody out of the room. But the floor was soaked from the IV bag and Zack slipped, crashing to the ground with his brother on top of him. Cody moaned as small areas of blood began to form on his hospital gown where the stitches from his wound were being pulled. Suddenly, Zack heard Peters yell out, and saw him fly to the side. Artie, with blood dripping down his face, picked up the gun and staggered over towards the boys. He cocked the gun and aimed it at them, grinning like a madman. Zack, still slipping on the wet floor, threw himself onto his brother's body to shield him. Then he heard a gunshot.

Zack, wincing, opened one eye and looked over at Artie. He was staring down at a hole in his chest. Zack's breath caught in his throat and he turned to face the doorway. There stood Lt. Brooks with his gun still pointed at Artie. Zack turned back to Artie just in time to see him fall backwards. Letting out a long breath of relief, he layed his head on his brother and passed out.

_A few hours later..._

Zack woke up to find himself in a hospital gown and bed.

"Well, this is all too familiar..." he said quietly.

"Zack!" he heard someone yell. It was Maddie. "Guys, he's awake!" she called out the door. Carey, Kurt, Moseby, London and officer Peters came rushing in. Carey and Kurt threw their arms around their son.

"My baby," Carey sobbed, kissing his face. She looked at Zack and smiled through her tears.

"Mom? What happened?" Zack asked, looking around at everyone.

"You saved your brother's life, then went into shock," Peters said, crossing his arms. Zack, staring at the stitches on above the officer's eye, started to remember everything that happened.

"Where's Cody?" he asked, a hint of fear in his voice. Kurt layed a hand on his shoulder and Zack looked at his father.

"He's fine, he's asleep," Kurt said, smiling and wiping a stray tear from his cheek.

Zack sighed. He looked at Peters. "What about Artie?"

Peters tensed a little. "He didn't make it," he said, shrugging slightly.

Carey, not wanting to talk about it, said, "Lets get a doctor in here to check you out, ok honey?" Zack nodded and put his head back onto his pillow as everyone, except officer Peters, left the room.

"Zack, you were really brave back there," Peters said. Zack looked at him.

"Thanks," he said, smiling slightly.

"You gonna be ok?" Peters asked.

Zack closed his eyes as images from earlier crept through his mind.

"I'll be ok once I see Cody," he answered.

_The next day..._

"Mom, is Cody awake yet?" Zack asked his mother. He had been released that morning, and he still hadn't been able to visit his brother.

"We're going up there right now. The nurse just came out and said everything was looking good," Carey said. She looked at her anxious son. "He's still there, sweetie, I promise," she added.

They reached Cody's room and walked inside. Cody looked up and smiled when the walked in.

"Hi!" he said happily. His voice had gotten a little stronger since the last time Zack spoke to him.

"Hi, honey," Carey said, kissing Cody's forehead. Zack came over to Cody's bed, looking at the bandage on his brother's throat. He looked up at his mother.

"Mom? Can I have a second alone with Cody?" he asked. Carey could see the pleading look in his eyes and nodded.

"I'll go finish signing some of your paperwork," she said to Zack, and walked out the door. Zack turned toward Cody.

"You're crazy," he said to his brother. Cody looked at Zack strangely.

"Why?" he asked. Zack just shook his head.

"First you get shot for me, then you kick a madman with a gun in the balls," Zack said, sitting on the edge of Cody's bed. Cody laughed.

"Well, I didn't know what else to do. And you're crazy too, you know," Cody said, playfully punching Zack in the arm.

"Me?" Zack said, taken back.

"Yeah, you! I take a bullet for you, and you decide to return the favor? He could have killed you," Cody said, pulling himself slowly into a sitting position. Zack smiled.

"Hey, eye for an eye, little brother. I told you I'd never let anything happen to you again," he said. Cody looked into his brother's eyes.

"I know you won't," he said softly. Zack pulled Cody into an embrace.

"I love you," he whispered into Cody's ear.

"I love you, too." Cody whispered back.

"We'll get through this together," Zack said, pulling away. He looked at Cody and smiled.

He finally had his brother back.

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OK. Cheesy ending. I know this. Conclusions have never been my strong point. In fact, I suck majorly at them.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story. I worked really hard on it, and I had a lot of fun writing it. I hope you are not confused about anything.

Please review. They brighten my day. And it helps me in my decision to write another story. I hope you will all stay with me and read my new story which will be up in a few weeks (hopefully).


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